Improvement in hand corn-planters



G. B'URSON. Hand Planter raga- Patented Sept. 20, 1870.

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enonen BVURSOVN, or EAST PALESTINE, ofnroj Letters Patent No. 107 ,595, dated sqltember 20, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAND CORN-PLAN'IERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part 'of the same To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat' I, GEORGE B URSQN, of East Palestine, in the county of' Golumbiana and in the State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improve- .ments in Hand Corn-Planters; and do hereby declare that the following is'a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being-had to theaccompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which- Figure- 1 is a vertical central section of. my device' Figure 8 is an inner side elevation of the blocks forming the dropper-frame; and

Figure 9 tea front elevation of the same.

Letters of like name andkind refer to like parts in eachof the figures.

This invention is an improvement upon a hand corn planter for which Letters Patent No. 88,607 were granted me on the 6th day of April, 1869; and

It consists, principally, in the peculiar shapeand position of the hopper, as is hereinafter set forth.

It further consists in the construction and 'arrangement of the valve or dropper, and of the box for containing the same, as is hereinafter shown.

4 It finallyconsists in the arrangement of the bills, by means of which clogging of the same is prevented, as is hereinafter shown.

In the' annexed drawing-- A andB represent two narrow strips of board, forming the operating levers of my device, to the outside of the latter of which is secured a boxer hopper, O, liaving a length equal to about one-halfthat of said ever.

The front side 1) of the hopper curves inwardto' or against the lever 13, while the sides E of the same extend inward across said lever and' then downward to its lower end, as shown in fig. 1.

Secured to the side pieces E, at and extending up- Two other bills L and M are secured to the front ward from their lower ends, are two blocks, F and F, having each a breadth equal to about two-thirds that of said sides, and a thickness equal to onethird of the space between the same, said blocks servingas afrarne for the slide or valve G, and, also,toreceive the bills. Asseen in the drawing, the slide G informed of an oblong piece'of wood, having hand through the same a slot, H, that extends forward from its rear end rather more than one-half of its'length,and at a point about one-fourth of its width from its leftside'. 1

The inner side of the slot H is vertical, while its outer side slopes downward and outward, so as to bring itslower edge nearly to the outer edge of the slide.

Sloping-downward and outward upon each side of theslide G are two semicircular cavities or grooves, g and g, while a third, h, is provided within the. inner or vertical fac'eof the slot H, and also slopes outward.

- Extending from the front of each groove, around the p same and to the rear, is a beveled semicircular space, :13, the object of which is to prevent the seed from wedging within the. grooves, and thereby impeding the free motion of the valve.

In" order to provide ways for the slide orvalve to operate within orupon, a portion of the inner face of the block-F, is removed from itsupper end downward nearly to its center, lengthwise, so as to form a ledge, f, having a width equal to about one-half the thick ness of said blocks, and sloping slightly upward from its front. v I v The inner face of the opposite block F is likewise removed upon a vertical line, and to a corresponding depth, but instead of the right-angled ledge formed upon the block F, aprojection, f, corresponding 1n shape with theslot H, within the valve, is left upon said block F, so that when said valve is placed in position between said blocks, said projection shall loose- I 1y fill said slots Extending forward from the face of each block, and forming a part of the same, is a projection, f, the

right-hand'face of which is beveled from near the upper end, upward and toward the-opposite side, as

shown in fig. 8.

The lever A is provided with a block, I, having the general-shape shown in fig. l, and corresponding in thickness to the space between the blocks F and F, between which it is loosely fitted.

A pin, t, passing horizontally through said blocks F F and I, and through the sidesE, secures the levers together-and serves as a pivot, upon which the lever A may turn.

edges of the blocks F and F, and in corresponding po sitions upon the inner face of the levers A, at'its outer edges, said bills being-so arranged as that the female section of one and the male section pf the other are attached to said levers, by which means, as the levers are operated, the contiguous faces of said bills move in opposite directions, and thereby. prevent the soil from clogging between.

- Theupper face of the valveG comes immediately Secured to'and extending downward from therear face of the block I is a section of a bill,- K, which cor;

responds with and fits-into another 'or the-female porbelow the lower end of the hopper 0, so that the seed contained within the lattermay pass outward upon said valve, through a slot, 0, provided in and through the v lever B.

c, furnishes a meaus'whereby the size'of said opening may be increased or decreased, and the flow of the grain regulated.

A cross-bar, P, secured to the front edge of the blocks F and F','immediately above the valve G, holds said valve. in position vertically, and preve'n ts the grain frompassin'g outward.

A spiral spring, R, secured atone end within the rear'end of the slide G, and pressing against the lever B, so as to throw outward said slide and the lever A, and a brace, S, secured upon and extending lengthwise of said lever, completes the device, the operation of which is as follows:

The hopper being filled with-grain, a portion of the same passes outward through the opening 0, andrests upon the slide. By pressing together the levers A and B, the slide or valve will be carried inward until its grooves or cavities are beyond the cross-bar P, and receive a charge of grain 7 Upon throwing said levers apart,theslide is forced outward by means of thespring It, until the cavities are beyond the blocks F and 1 when the grain, being liberated, will pass downward into the bills, that from the outer cavities passing freely downward into the outer bill, while the contents of the center cavity passes through the slot H, against the sloping face of the projection f, from whence it is thrown upon the inclined edge of the block I, and, passing down the same, enters the middle bill.

The bills being charged,the device is ready for the operation of planting, which is accomplished bythrusting the bills into the ground, and pressing together the levers, by which means the corn contained within said bills is discharged, and the cavities within the valve recharged, the contents of thelatter being deposited, as before, within said bills, by moving apart the levers.

The advantages possessed by this device are- First, the peculiar construction and arrangementot' the hopper leaves the dropping devices'unobstructed, so that their operation may be readily observed, and aii'y derangement easily remedied.

Second, the frame for the valve is constructed in so simple a manneras to be not only much less expensive than those ordinarily used, but also more durable.

Third, the shape of the seed-cavities within the valve issuch as to prevent any obstruction to the free operation of the latter by the catching'of seed.

Fourth, the arrangement of the bills, so that their,

contiguous surfaces move in opposite directions when the machineis operated, entirely prevents the usual annoyancearising frem'the clogging of damp soil be tween the bills. v

Having thus fully'set forth the nature and meritsof my invention,

' What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, i's-- The hopper O, construetedas'shown, and arranged with reference to the lever B and the dropping devices, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Also, the valve or slide-box, formed of and within the blocks F. and F, and consisting'ot' the ledge f, the projections f and f", substantially as and for the purpose set'forth.

Also, the valve orslide G, provided with the slot H and the beveled cavities g g and h, substantially as shown and for the purpose described.

Also, the arrangement of the bills, by means of which their contiguous faces are caused to movein opposite directions, when the planter is operated, as is hereinbeforeset forth.

In testimony that 'I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of March, 1870.

GEORGE BURSON.

Witnesses BENJAMIN P. Benson, GEORGE JORDAN Gmiaornnn. 

